Motor pump unit



July 15,1947.

C. J. BLOM IOTORPUIP UNIT- Filed July 6, 1945 with a protecting Patented July 15,

UNITED STATE za zaszs MOTORPUMUNITQ I Carl J. mm,

Byron Jackson 00., tion of Delaware San Marino, Califiassignor to Vernon, Calif.. a corpora- Application July 6,1945, Serial No. 603,41 Claims. (Cl- H" This invention relates to motorpump units, and particularly to motorpump units of the type wherein the electric motor for driving the pump is encased in a fluidtight housing which is filled liquid to exclude both the liquid being pumped and the surrounding medium from access to the motor compartment.

In my copending application Serial No. 577,696, filed February 13, 1945, there is disclosed a unit of the foregoing/type wherein the protecting liquid in the motor compartment is subjected to the discharge pressure of a single stage pump, or to the pressure a multistage pump, whereas the external or pump side of the motor shaft seal is subjected to the suction pressure of the pump. In this manner a pressure differential is established across the shaft seal, to assure that any leakage of fluid through the shaft 'seal will be outward leakage of protecting liquid from the motor compartment rather than inward leakage of pump liquid. The liquid being pumped may in some instances be miscible with the protecting liquid, and for that I of the pump liquid is impressed on the protecting liquid through the intermediacy of or other equivalent means capable of transmitting pressure between the pump liquid and the protecting liquid while at the same time isolatingthese'liquids from each other. Motorpump units of the foregoing cation in services which require pumping of liquids which are of an intermediate stage of a a'third liquid, 8. flexible bellows type have wide'applieither highly volatile, explosive or corrosive, or have other characteristics which i create a hazardous condition if leakage to the atmosphere takes place. I

In some instances the character of the pump liquid or the nature of the process involved is such that no contamination whatsoever of the pump liquid by even a small amount of protecting liquid by leakage through the shaft seal, is permitted. The pumping of aviation gasoline is a typical example. In that case, the motorpump unit described in the aforementioned copending application might not be entirely suitable because a small amount of protecting liquid leaks through the shaft seal and mixes with the pump liquid.

It is a principal obiect of this invention to provide a motorpump unit which has all the advantages of the unit described in my copending application, and, the further advantage of protecting the pump liquid from contamination by the protecting liquid in the motor compartment.

A further object of this invention is to provide 1 in addition thereto, embodies a motor-pump unit of the foregoing type, wherein the pump chamber and the motor compartment are isolated from each other by a third chamber which is separated from both chambers by shaft seals and is maintained at a lower pressure than either the pump chamber or the motor compartment, whereby leakage through the shaft seals occurs only in the direction of the thirdchamber.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the mixture of pump liquid and protecting liquid which leak into the third chamber may accumulate over a long period of time without aifecting the operation of the unit, and may be drained off periodically while the unit is in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing depicting a complete motorpump unit partly in vertical section and partly in elevation.

Referring to the drawing, a pump unit I, herein shown as a single stage pump, .is connected between a suction conduit 2 leading from any suitable source, such as a suction tank 3, and a discharge conduit 4. The pump case 5 supports a seal chamber housing 8, which in turn supports at its upper end an electric motor 1.. The

'motor and the seal chamber housing are fully enclosed within anouter shell 9 which is bolted, as at'9, or otherwise secured in fluid-tight relapump constitute a moving parts enclosed rounding atmosphere.

The shell 8 is preferably spaced from the motor may be introduced into the cooling passage It, as

in Figs. 1 and 3 of my copending application Serial No. 577,696.

The rotor shaft ll wardly through the seal chamber l5 and into the pumpcasing, and has a pump impeller i6 keyed thereto. The juncture of the shaft with the upper and lower walls of the seaichamber is sealed by shafts seals 11 and I8 of the type gen QISJIY referred to as mechanical seals. The

communicates at its lower J of the motor extends downmechanical seals per se are conventional: Each seal includes a fixed seal element in the form of a bushing surrounding the shaft and secured in the wall of the seal chamber'and a rotating seal element mounted on the shaft. The rotating and fixed seal elements have confronting sealing surfaces which are held in sealing contact by springs mounted on the shaft and bearing against the rotating seal elements. I

A preferred form of this type of the seal is, de-

scribed in .detail and illustrated in Fig. 4 of my copending application Serial No. 547,617, filed August 1, 1944, which issued on July 30, 1946, as Patent No. 2,404,783, has proved to be highly satisfactory in all respects for this service. It should be noted. however, that whereas in my copending application Serial No. 547,617., and in Fig. 2 of my copending application serial No; 577,696,

the two seals are arranged in'back-to-back relation in the seal chamber and both open inwardly toward the seal chamber, in the present instance the seals are each inverted so that a preponderance of pressure in the motor compartment and inthe pump casing, over that in the seal chamber, serves to press the seal plates of each seal into tighter'engagement. The reason for this reversed arrangement of the seals will be explained I mounted in a chamber 2|! whichis in communi cation through throttle :passage 2|, with the pump chamber at the discharge side of the im-,

peller l6. Hence the pressure in the chamber 20 is substantially-equal to the discharge pressure of 1 thepump.

The seal chamber,'on the other hand, is maintained'und'er pressure substantially equal to the suction pressure of the pump, in the following manner: A low pressure balance chamber 22 is mounted adjacent the motorpump unit and comprises spaced outer and innerwalls 23 and 24, the inner wall being sealed to the upper end wall 25 and being spaced from the lower end wall 26 to form an inverted U-tube. The annular space between the walls 23 and 24 communicates at its upper end with the seal chamber I! through a,

conduit 21, and the inner chamber within the inner-wall 24 communicates at its upper end with the'pump suction conduit 2 through a conduit 28. A body of intermediate liquid I separates the pump liquid P in the inner chamber from the liquid M in the upper portion ofthe outer annular chamber. This intermediate liquid I maybe water or any other suitable liquid which is heavier than and immiscible with the liquids M and P.

It is thus apparent that the liquid M inthe,

seal chamber I is subjected to substantially the suction pressure of the pump. I Any leakage through the seal will therefore be leakage of a pump liquid from the chamber into the seal chamber l 5. With thetype of seal employed, this leakage is very small, on the order of possibly a pint over a periodof several months, operation of the unit. It will be apparent that this leakage displaces an equal amount of the mixture M of dielectric liquid and pump liquid from the seal chamber 15 into the annular space between the walls of the balance chamber 22, displacing the interface 30 betweenthe intermediate liquid I and the milled liquid M downwardly and thus displacing the interface 3i between the intermediate liquid 1 and the pump liquid P upwardly and forcing an equal amount of pump liquid back into'the suction conduit 2.

The capacity of the balance chamber 22 may be made sufllcient to accommodate the leakage which takes place through the seals over a long period of time. Any suitable means may be provided for indicating when the interfaces 30 and 3! approach clue to the opposite ends of the chamber. For example, if the pump liquid has good dielectric properties and the intermediate liquid is a, conducting liquid, an electrode 32 may be mounted in the upper end wall within the inner compartment andconnected by a conduit 32a to a circuit including a bell or other alarm or indicator (not shown) the circuit being closed when the' intermediate liquid contacts the electrode. The interfaces and 3| may then be restored to their initial positions as-indicated in the drawing by draining off the mixed liquid M through a, drain valve 33 in the conduit 21.

In order to protect the motor 1 and to avoid contamination of the dielectric liquid D in the motor compartment by the pump liquid, the motor compartment is subjected to the pump discharge pressure, thusv limiting the leakage through the upper-shaft seal I! to leakage of dielectric liquid into the seal chamber. |5,-it being recalled that the seal chamber is' subjected to pump suction'pressure. For this purpose a high pressure balance chamber 35 is provided, similar in all essentialrespects to the low pressure balance chamber 22. In this case, however, the upper end of the annular outer compartment between the walls 36 and 31 communicates with the motor compartment through a conduit 38, and

the upper end of the innercompsavrhnent com-v municates with thepump discharge conduit 4 througha'conduit 39. balance chamber serves as a storage reservoirfor dielectric liquid to replace that which leaks outwardly through the shaft seal l1, and therefore the interfaces 4| and 4| between the intermediate liquid I and the dielectric'liquid D-and pump liquid P, respectively, are initially as-shown in thefdr'awinm As dielectric liquid is transferred from the balance chamber to the motor compartment, the interface 40 rises and'the'lnterface'll lowers. An electrode 42 maybe mounted at the upper'endfl of the outer annular compartment and connected through an electrical conductor 42a to a suitable alarm or indicator to give a warning signal when the interface 40 reachesthe electrode. Ad-

ditional dielectric liquid may-then be injected.

under pressure if the pump is in operation, through the valve 43 to restore the interfaces 40 and 4| to their initial Positions.

It is thus apparent that the balance chambers" not only serve to maintain the desired pressure differential across the seals l1 and I8, but the chamber 22 also serves as a reservoir for temporary storage of theliquid'leaking past the seals and the chamber--35 serves as areservoir for a reserve supply of dielectric liquid for the motor compartment, In addition to these functions, the balance chambers also'permit the dielectric liquid in the motor housingand the liquid in the seal chamber to expand due to an increase in within the purview of tamination by even understood that any communicate with body Of seal chamber temperature in these compartments during operation' of the unit.

In lieu of providing balance chambers and 35 oi. the inverted U-tube type. with a body of intermediate liquid I in each chamber to isolate the pump liquid from the dielectric liquid, it'is this invention to employ balance chambers of other types, such, forexampie, as that shownin Fig. 3 of my copending application Serial No. 577,696, wherein each balance chamber contains a bellows or dividing the chamber into two separate compartments in pressure transfer relation with each other. 1

It will be evident from the foregoing description that a motorpump unit has been which is particularly well adapted to handle volatile hydrocarbons and other liquids the escape of even small amountsof which to the atmosphere would create a hazardous condition. It will further be evident that a motorpump unit embodying the features of this invention finds particular utility in pumping aviation liquids which must be maintained free of conuids as light dielectric. liquids; The novel arrangement distor compartment by the flexible diaphragm gasoline and. other such relatively harmless liqtransformer oil or other well-known shaft extending from said motor compartment through said seal chamber and into said pump chamber and operatively connecting said motor and pumping element; semi-eflective mechanical seals for said shaft normally isolating said seal chamber from said motor compartment and from jliquid reservoir containing a body of dielectric provided 9 bodies of liquid for such as that described may be maintained in continuous operation over a very extended period of time without the necessityoi' shut-down for reis required'with pumps employing shaft stufllng boxes.

The connection oi the conduits and the pump suction and discharge conduits 2 and element.

said pump chamber; means including a, dielectric liquid and a pump liquid reservoir containing a body of pump liquid connected in series between said motor compartment and said pump chamber at the discharge side of said pumping element, means interposed'between said bodies of dielectric liquid and pump liquid for isolating them from eachother while establishing and maintaining pressure transfer relation therebetween; means including a seal chamber liquid reservoir containing a body'of seal chamber liquid and a second pump liquid reservoir contain,- ing a body of pump liquid connected in series between said seal chamber and said pump chamside of said pumping element, between said two last-named isolating them from each other while establishing and maintaining pressure transfer relation therebetween; the pump chamber side of the shaft seal between said seal chamber and said pump chamber being subjected to substantially the pressure of the pump liquid at'the discharge side of said pumping ber at the suction means interposed 3. A motorpump comprising: a motor housing enclosing a motor an containing a body of dielectric liquid; a pump casing containing a pump- I, respectively, constitutes a simple arrangement for establishing the desired pressures in the two balance chambers when the pump is of the single stage type, and avoids making-special connections in the pump casing. However, it will be other equivalent arrangement may be employed. If the pump is of the multi-stage type, the conduits 2B and 39 may any two zones within the pump casing having the desired pressure differential.

Iclaim:

1. A motorpump'comprisingz' a housing structure defining a motor compartment containing a dielectric liquid, a pump chamber, and a intermediate the motor compartment and the pump body of liquid; a motor in said motor compartment; a shaft extending from the motor comthe seal chamber and into the pump chamber and connected'to a'pumping element therein; semi-effective mechanical seals for said shaft normally isolating said seal chamber from said motor compartment pump chamber; means for subjecting said seal chamber to the pressure or the pump liquid on the suction side of said pumping element; means for subjecting said motor compartment tovthe pressure of the pump liquid on the discharge side of said pumping element; and means for subjecting the pump chamber side .of the shaft seal separating the pump chamber from the seal chamber to the pressure of the pump liquid-on the discharge side or said pumping element.

2. A motorpump comprising: a housing structure defining a motor compartment containing a body of dielectric liquid, a pump chamber, and

and from said I chamber and containing a ing element and having walls defining a relatively low pressure zone and a relatively high pressure zone; walls defining a. seal chamber interposed between said motor housing and said pump chamber and containing a body of liquid; shaiting connected to said motor and extending from said motor housing through sai seal chamber and into said pump casing and connected to said pumping element; semi-efiective mechanical seals for said shafting for substantially isolating said seal chamber from the interiors of said motor housing and of said pump casing, the seal between said seal chamber and said pump casing being exposed on its pump casing side to pump liquid at substantially the pressure in said high pressure zone; means for subjecting the dielectric liquid in said motor housing to substantially the pressure of the pump liquid in said high pressure zone, said means comprising reservoir means containing bodies of dielectric liquid and pump tively with said motor housing and the high pressure zone in said pump casing, an means interposed between said bodies of liquid for preventing intermixing thereof while maintaining said bodies of liquid in pressure transfer relation with taining said bodies of liquid inpressure transfer relation with each other.

4. A motorpump as set forth in claim 3, whereliquid communicating respec to substantially the 'pres-' in at least one-of said reservoir-means comprises wall defining a pair or compartments communieating with each other at their lowerends only a and each containing in its upper portion one of said bodies of liquid, and wherein said means interposed between the bodies or liquid comprises a body of third liquid heavier than and immischamber, whereby the relatively higher pressures in said motor-compartment and pump chamber urge said axially movable sealing elements into sealing engagement with their respective axially 5 fixed sealing elements. v

- CARL J. BLOM.

I REFERENCES CITED The: following references are of record in the file of this patent:

STATES PATENTS.

Name Date Number Hollander et al. Dec.'16, 1941 

